Russia legalizes housing seizure in occupied regions of Ukraine
16 December 09:33
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has signed a law that allows for the nationalization of unused housing in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops, [Komersant ] reports, citing Russian propaganda media.
According to the document signed in the Kremlin on Monday, December 15, “officially occupied territories,” “residential buildings, apartments and rooms that have signs of mismanagement” are recognized as the property of regions and municipalities.
Housing of Ukrainian refugees can now be taken away
Last week, this law was approved by the State Duma and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. At the time, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized that the document does not contain clear criteria for recognizing housing as “ownerless.” They will be determined by the occupation administrations themselves, which opens the way for mass appropriation of real estate. In fact, this means that any housing of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have left Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions because of the war can be declared “no man’s land.”
The law also provides for the possibility of further re-privatization of housing. It can be transferred, for example, to other people who have lost their homes because of the war. In addition, local authorities can use it as official housing for Russian officials.
Ukraine announces “replacement of residents”
“The confiscated housing will be transferred to the Russian military, security forces, officials and public sector employees brought from Russia. That is, there is a targeted replacement of local residents with loyalists,” the Center for Countering Disinformation said in a commentary.
At the same time, the text of the law refers to compensation that can be claimed by former owners of apartments and houses who have lost their property rights. However, this applies only to those who have received Russian citizenship. The procedure for compensation should be determined by the local occupation authorities.
